COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING IN TUZLA CANTON: PROJECT AND STRATEGY FOR PATIENTS WITH AVERAGE CANCER RISK

The aim of this paper is comprehensive education of health care professionals in the Tuzla Canton about this disease, adoption of new guidelines and simpler route from diagnosis to surgical treatment, which ultimately leads to reduced mortality and better outcomes in treatment. The cost of various screening tests for CRC vary in a wide range, ranging from a few US dollars for a stool test for occult bleeding to USD 1000 or more for a colonoscopy [7]. The aim of this paper is to comprehensively educate health care professionals in the Tuzla Canton and understand the evidence, accept new guidelines, and simplify the patient's path to diagnosis, which will ultimately lead to a reduction in colorectal cancer mortality in the Tuzla Canton. DISCUSSION The first step in screening is to identify the patient's level of risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) as the level of risk affects recommendations for screening and monitoring. [...]it is generally established that patients are either at average or at increased risk.